Babbitt

Sinclair Lewis Edited by Gordon Hutner

Babbitt is a biting satire of middle-American values whose title has entered the language as a byword for smug complacency, conformity, and materialism, and whose suburban targets are still much in evidence.

Hilarious and tragic by turn, Lewis's portrayal of small-town life and its citizens brilliantly evokes 1920s America and the world of George F. Babbitt's real estate business.

Critical introduction considers the novel in its historical and literary context, and its importance in American culture.

Explanatory notes document and gloss the rich social history of the period.

Up-to-date bibliography.

Babbitt

Sinclair Lewis Edited by Gordon Hutner

Description

Amusing and tragic by turn, Sinclair Lewis's classic novel is a biting satire of middle-American values whose title has entered the language as a byword for smug complacency, conformity, and materialism, and whose suburban targets are still much in evidence. A successful real estate agent, George F. Babbitt is a member of all the right clubs, and unquestioningly shares the same aspirations and ideas as his friends and fellow Boosters. Yet even Babbitt dreams of romance and escape, and when his best friend does something to throw his world upside down, he rebels, and tries to find fulfillment in romantic adventures and liberal thinking. Hilarious and poignant, Babbitt turns the spotlight on middle America and strips bare the hypocrisy of business practice, social mores, politics, and religious institutions. In his introduction and notes Gordon Hutner explores the novel's historical and literary contexts, and highlights its rich cultural and social references. The book also features an up-to-date bibliography and explanatory notes that document and gloss the rich social history of the period.

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Author Information

Babbitt

Sinclair Lewis Edited by Gordon Hutner

From Our Blog

Each summer, Oxford University Press USA and Bryant Park in New York City partner for their summer reading series Word for Word Book Club. On Tuesday 27 August 2013, writer David Gilbert leads a discussion on Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.

Sinclair Lewis was the first US writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Known for his insightful and critical depictions of American society, one of Lewis' most famous works was Babbitt. In honor of the anniversary of Lewis' birth (7 February 1885), we've crept into the archives and dug up some pages from Babbitt for you to enjoy.